Forbidden: Book One of Wild Sky Saga (14 page)

The raven flew through the rain in the forest until it reached a mountain and went up to a cave. As the raven flew in, with the last flap of its wings, it turned into Cleo, shaking off her long black soaking wet trench
coat.

Dreadfully panicked and angry, she stormed into the cave. It was lit by many candles and oil lamps. It was
immaculate.

She came to a chamber, and a man she couldn’t quite see sat in a
chair.

She ran over to him falling to the ground and laid her head on his lap. Even though Cleo knew it was inevitable Israel would find his way back to Aira, she was over ridden with jealously. She was completely obsessed with
him.

Cleo looked up at the man. “It’s time,” she spoke quietly and
revengefully.

The man slowly put his hand onto her head, and said nothing. His hand was pasty white, the deformity in it clearly seen, and with his slow, heavy breathing, seemed like a beast that was
feeding.

Cleo closed her eyes. He moved his hand over her face and she started to
change.

Her hair went from black to a platinum blonde, and her eyes from a piercing green to a deep brown. Her face changed into one of the most beautiful girls ever seen, and in that moment she was overtaken with a spirit that matched Israel’s, but feminine. She could now mirror him back to
himself.

The Dragon was smart, he was the Darkness. He knew that all humans ever looked for was themselves in everyone around
them.

Cleo looked up at him and smiled. She then stood up, kissed him on the forehead and walked
out.

His promise to Cleo was Israel. All he wanted was what Israel
possessed.

Aira was asleep in Israel’s arms. He slowly moved his arm out from underneath her and moved off the bed. He put on his sweater then walked back over to her. Staring intensely for a moment, he brushed his finger down her forehead to the tip of her nose, leaned down and kissed the top of her
head.

Walking over to her window he quietly opened it. He stood there for a moment, gripping onto the window frame, then he crawled out, jumped, turning into a beautiful white dove and flew
away.

Aira had sort of opened her eyes and had watched him. As if she was in some kind of dream, she smiled and closed her
eyes.

Israel flew home. Though he looked beautiful flying against the darkness of night, the heaviness of the decision he had made seemed very apparent. Like watching fragility flying surrounded by darkness. Just before he reached his driveway, he turned back into himself and walked into his
house.

His father was writing at his desk in the living room. He looked at his son. Israel looked at his father for a moment and then continued to his room. Nehemiah could feel that something had changed. He thought for a moment, then continued with his
work.

Israel walked into his room, over to his bed and fell onto it. He put his hand onto his chest, and for the first time, he felt his own heart beating, something he had longed for, for a very long time. As peaceful as it was, he closed his eyes and drifted off to
sleep.

Night turned into morning, and with the sun rising Israel opened his eyes and looked around the room. It was as if he had opened them for the very first time. He woke up happier than he had been his entire existence. He got up out of his bed and, wiping his eye with the palm of his hand, he walked to the kitchen. His mother and Olivia were
there.

Abby was cooking hash browns and cutting onions, her eyes starting to
water.

“Ahhh,” Abby said while rubbing her eyes with the back of her
hand.

Israel smiled. “Here, Mom, let me.” Israel took the knife away from his
mother.

“Well, you seem in a good mood,” Olivia said with a smile in a teasing
way.

“Olivia, don’t bug your brother,” Abby said, pulling orange juice out of the
fridge.

“I’m just saying…” Olivia smirked at
Israel.

Naomi walked into the kitchen with a large laundry basket of clothes, and a bunch of books that she placed on top of the laundry. She was studying to become a doctor. She could barely see where she was going, tripped, and the books dropped onto the
floor.

Israel was startled by the sound, and as he looked, he missed cutting the onion and cut his finger. It instantly began to bleed. He looked down in shock. His vision blurred for a split
second.

“What’s wrong?” Abby asked, and walked over to him. “Israel! You’re bleeding” She looked at him with disbelief. His sisters looked at him in complete shock. His mother quickly grabbed a cloth, wrapped it around his finger, just as his father walked in. They all looked at Nehemiah as he walked over to
Israel.

Nehemiah took Israel’s hand and looked. “You’ve made your decision, I
see.”

“Father, I…” Israel started to explain but Nehemiah just turned around, walked out of the kitchen into his room, and closed the
door.

Abby looked at Israel for a second, then ran after Nehemiah into the bedroom and reclosed the
door.

“Nehemiah,” she spoke softly,
concerned.

“He made his decision, now there’s no other choice. Abby, he won’t be strong enough to do what he now has no choice in doing!” Nehemiah upset, pushed everything off their
dresser.

Trying to compose himself he continued, “If I lose my son…” Nehemiah shook his head, he couldn’t even grasp the words he was
speaking.

Israel listened to the muffled voices through the door. He looked at his sisters, then grabbed his keys and walked out the front door. Abby jolted as the door
slammed.

Israel walked to his car and got in. He sat there for a few minutes not really knowing what to think. Regardless, it was done, and there was no going
back.

Israel turned on his car and pulled out of the driveway. As he drove to pick up Aira he looked around in wonder. Everything seemed brighter, more
vivid.

He rolled down his windows to let the air touch his face. He could really feel it. He watched the sun dance off the leaves of the trees and closed his eyes for a second to let it all settle inside of
him.

Up ahead he could see a girl walking on the side of the road. His vision went into slow motion as he past her, and she turned her head and looked at
him.

She had beautiful, long, platinum blonde hair and deep brown eyes. She was wearing a short flowing dress, and older looking cowboy boots. Her eyes caught his with a quick reflection and she smiled. It was like he was put under a spell, taking all of his
attention.

He slowly braked his car until he stopped. He sat there for a few seconds, then put his car into reverse and drove back to
her.

She leaned into the window. “Hey, good lookin,” she said and it daunted him. He could barely get any words
out.

“Would you like a ride somewhere?” he asked, feeling painfully
shy.

She smiled and looked down the
road.

“I feel like walking.” She looked back in at him. Israel didn’t know what to
say.

“I like to walk,” he finally spoke and then instantly felt stupid. She
laughed.

“Maybe I’ll see you around,” she said as she walked
away.

Israel sat and watched her walk. He felt completely taken by her. He slowly drove up to her
again.

She stopped walking and let out a
smile.

“What’s your name?” he asked, looking at her
entranced.

“Mary.”

“Mary,” he repeated and she looked back at
him.

She opened his car door and got
in.

“My mother named me. She was always fascinated with the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.” As she spoke, Israel watched her rub the bare part of her legs. She looked at him watching her hands, and when he realized what he was doing, he put his eyes back on the road and began to
drive.

She smiled to herself and looked out the
window.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” she
said.

“It calms me,” he replied, looking over at her. She smiled, then there was silence until they pulled into
town.

“Where can I take you?” he
asked.

“I’m actually going to enroll into school, we just moved
here…”

“I can take you. I’m going there anyways,” he quickly
replied.

She smiled at his hastiness. “Actually, I need to do a few things. Can you just drop me off here?” she said, looking out the
window.

“Okay, sure.” He pulled over to the side of the road a little ways down from The
Moose.

She unbuckled her seat belt. “I’ll see you later then, I guess.” She smiled at him and got out of the car. Israel watched her walk away, still
mesmerized.

He sat in his car for a few minutes, not really able to think too much about anything. He looked over and saw Avery and Joshua walking out of The Blue
Moose.

He realized he had completely forgotten about picking up Aira. He had forgotten about her all together. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t know what had just
happened.

In a panic he drove to her house. Aira was sitting outside on the porch. As he pulled up her driveway she stood up. She was beaming with love for
him.

Israel smiled, took a breath, inhaling through his nose, got out of his car and walked over to
her.

“I thought you weren’t going to come.” Aira let out a light
smile.

“Please don’t ever think like that.” He pulled her into him, resting his chin on her head as he hugged her. He was completely confused and overly worried. He was now realizing the severity of his decision. He had put them both in a very, very dangerous game of chess. And the one thing he knew for certain was that the Darkness loved to
play.

“Come, I want to take you somewhere.” She grabbed onto his hand and dragged him to her
truck.

“Now?” He followed
smiling.

“Yes, get in!” She walked to her truck door and stopped. “It’s one day.” She looked so cute to him standing
there.

Israel opened the truck door and got in. Everything she did made him feel alive and that meant everything to
him.

Aira got into the truck, and as she was about to turn the keys in the ignition he touched her hand to
stop.

“I love you, Aira,” he spoke
reassuringly.

“I love you too,” she replied quietly with a slight
smile.

Israel moved his hand back onto his
lap.

“Okay, now I’m ready.” He calmly smiled. Israel couldn’t let on that anything was wrong. Every single move he made now had to be right. There was no room for
mistakes.

She let out a light laugh, shaking her head. Aira turned the key to started the truck and pulled out of her
driveway.

They drove out of town towards Silver Creek, another small neighborhood only a few minutes outside of Hope. Once there, she turned left down Silver Skagit
Road.

“Where are we going?” he asked curiously. The scenery was so beautiful. Trees surrounded them in every direction and there were waterfalls all along the side of the
road.

“It’s a surprise.” Instead of taking him to Silver Lake she went a different way. It wasn’t too far from the lake. She drove for a while longer, and then slowed down to park on the side of the road where a trail cut to the right through some trees. She put her truck into park and unbuckled her seat
belt.

“Come,” she said, getting out. Israel got out of the truck, and looked around while he walked over to her. He moved his hands out of his pockets and zipped up his dark blue hoodie, pulling the hood over his
head.

She took Israel’s hand and led him down the trail that led to a mountain-fed pool of water surrounded by beautiful trees. To his left were two massive boulders pressed up against each other like a step. There was grass then sand, almost like a small
beach.

“I like it here,” he spoke
simply.

Aira took off her shoes. “Our dad used to bring us here when David and I were younger. My mom would lay in the sun and watch us run around. We spent hours
here.”

Aira smiled at Israel, walked over to the water, sat down, and put her feet
in.

Israel walked over and sat down beside
her.

“It’s still one of my most favorite places... When he left, I used to come here with so much anger from seeing my mother in so much pain. I remember one day in particular, my mother had been crying all day. I left the house and came here. I started to pick up rocks and smashed them into the water. I screamed and cried until I couldn’t cry anymore. Then I sat down and felt helpless. I lifted my head and I looked around… there was this calmness everywhere. Nothing around me changed, and I realized that whether I was running around and laughing or I was full of anger, that this place had nothing to do with it.” Israel listened to every word she spoke. “I could bring everything I felt here, and it stayed solid no matter what. It never changed, and it was always here. It let me release everything, without judgment or telling me I had to feel differently. It became something to me rather than a memory that just left.” Aira looked at Israel with a calm smile. She watched as he swirled his finger in the water. He had closed his eyes. Aira didn’t notice, but energy came off of Israel’s finger into the water. She watched him with so much love in her
eyes.